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Eden Wild Blueberries - Pocket Snacks are low bush, small, wild blueberries from fields called 'barrens' in northern Québec that have been organically managed since 1996. The large area was once forested, but a few years after logging it filled with wild, lowbush blueberries.

The blueberries are handpicked in August, washed, sorted, and quick frozen. When ready for drying they are thawed and infused with organic Eden apple juice concentrate to just the right sweetness or 'Brix'. The infused blueberries are rinsed, low heat air-dried, and lightly misted with organic sunflower oil to prevent clumping. Four pounds of fresh blueberries make one pound of dried.

The wild blueberry is native to northeastern North America growing from Minnesota to Maine and as far north as the Arctic. The wild blueberry is a small, dwarf plant reaching only 1 to 2 feet in height. The cultivated blueberry is much taller with a much wider growing range. Cultivated blueberries are maintained much like an olive grove or an orchard. Wild blueberry plants are not planted. They develop from native existing stands, and are simply managed. Although both types of blueberries contain healthful antioxidants, it is the wild, lowbush blueberry that was recently rated #1 in antioxidant activity by the USDA.

For centuries wild blueberries were prized and gathered from fields, forests, and barrens of North America by Native Americans. The tiny berry was a valuable food used in stew, soup, and with corn sweetened with maple syrup or honey. It was used to make jerky of deer meat. The berry's antioxidants helped preserve the meat. The blossom or calyx of each berry forms the shape of a five pointed star. Native Americans called it the 'star berry', and the elders of the tribe told stories of how the Great Spirit brought the 'star berries' so the children could relieve their hunger during famine. They used the juice of the berries to ease what they called 'old coughs', and to dye rugs, blankets, and clothing. They made smoked berries, sun dried berries, and blueberry powder to flavor other foods. They used the leaves and roots to make teas. When the Pilgrims arrived, Native Americans taught them how to grow and use native plants to help them survive. One such plant was the wild blueberry. They taught them how to sun dry and store them for the winter. The wild blueberry became an important food for the early settlers.

Eden Organic Wild Blueberry Pocket Snacks are delicious and nutritious food. They are low fat, cholesterol free, very low sodium, offer 300 mg of potassium per serving, and are an excellent source of fiber.